ArticleEpidemiology and psychiatric sciences2020
Loneliness, hopelessness and suicide in later life: a case-control psychological autopsy study in rural China.
Article in Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.
- Loneliness as an Interface Between Alzheimer's Disease and Suicidal Behaviour: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Analytic Factor Analysis.Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society · 2026Pooled it
- Assessment of the relationship between living alone and suicidal behaviors based on prospective studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- Relationships Between Loneliness, Common Mental Disorders, and Lifetime Suicidality in a Korean Adult Population.Psychiatry investigation · 2026Article
- Evaluating potential effect of adverse childhood experiences on depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: a simulation-based network analysis.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Correlation analysis between sleep quality and depressive symptoms among rural elderly in China: An observational study.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- The Double Burden of Isolation and Unemployment: Suicide Risk in Structurally Vulnerable Populations in Japan-A Case Study of Akita Prefecture (2018-2022).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- The Path to Loneliness for Psychiatric Patients: A Qualitative Study of a Journey Marked by Pain, Hopelessness, Prosocial Signaling Deficits, and Coping Strategies That Are Not Effective.Scandinavian journal of psychology · 2025Article
- The association between loneliness, suicidal ideation, and psychological distress considering family compositions: a cross-sectional study in a Japanese rural area.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Brooding, reflection, and anger rumination in late life suicidal behavior.Journal of affective disorders · 2025Article
- Article
- Advances in the assessment and study of suicide in late-life depression.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Preventing suicide among older women in China: the integration of gamified group-based exercise in a virtual reality environment.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Completed suicide risk factors among people living with HIV in Hunan Province identified through a psychological autopsy case-control study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- Article
- Psychological Risk Factors in the Transition from Suicidal Ideation to Suicidal Behavior in Young Adults.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Psychache, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study from China.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Inequities in Mental Health Care Facing Racialized Immigrant Older Adults With Mental Disorders Despite Universal Coverage: A Population-Based Study in Canada.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Article
- Understanding for Prevention: Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of Suicide Notes and Forensic Reports.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Association between age and loneliness in different residential type and gender groups: evidence from China.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsLoneliness is increasingly recognised as a serious public health issue worldwide. However, there is scarce research addressing the association between loneliness and suicide in older adults in rural China. We set out to examine loneliness and other psychosocial factors in elderly suicide cases and explore their interaction effects.
methodsUsing a 1 : 1 matched case-control design, data were collected from 242 elderly suicide cases and 242 living community controls by psychological autopsy method in rural China, including demographic characteristics, loneliness, depression, hopelessness and social support. The chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) tree model and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to explore the relationships of these factors and suicide.
resultsThe CHAID tree model showed that loneliness, hopelessness and depressive symptoms were closely associated with completed suicide and that loneliness and hopelessness interacted with each other. The result of multivariable logistic regression showed that individuals who were unemployed [odds ratio (OR) = 2.344; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.233-4.457], living alone (OR = 2.176; 95% CI: 1.113-4.254), had lower levels of subjective social support (OR = 2.185; 95% CI: 1.243-3.843), experienced depressive symptoms (OR = 6.700; 95% CI: 3.405-13.182), showed higher levels of hopelessness (OR = 7.253; 95% CI: 3.764-13.974) and felt higher levels of hopelessness × higher levels of loneliness (OR = 2.446; 95% CI: 1.089-5.492) were significantly associated with an elevated suicide risk in older people in rural China.
conclusionsRegular evaluation of loneliness, hopelessness and depression can help detect older adults who are at risk of committing suicide. Interventions should target social support systems, particularly among people living alone, to alleviate feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. Treating depression is also key to preventing suicide among elderly people in rural China.
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